Benicassim Festival with Heineken Breaks

International beer producer Heineken is to cease being the main sponsor for Spain's highest profile summer music festival, at Benicassim held in July on the eastern Mediterranean coast. For the past ten years Heineken had been the main sponsor of Benicassim's 16 year history, and had asked the media in Spain and abroad to refer to the event as FIB Heineken. It will now be known as FIB, or the international Benicassim festival. Irish pioneer festival promoter Vince Power took full control of FIB this year, after working for three years with the founders who set the festival running in 1994. For reasons that likely have more to do with the line up than the economic crisis, at the four day attendence fest this year fell to 127,000, from last year's record 200,000. Heineken said that its decision to no longer be a main sponsor followed "10 successful years during which FIB Heineken has become one of the most important festivals on the international circuit." In the live Spanish music scene Heineken stressed that it will remain very active, where it promotes the June 21 Heineken Music Day, Heineken Music Selector, Heineken Greenspace in Valencia, and the international jazz festival Heineken Jazzaldia in the Basque city of San Sebastian (Donostia). FIB line up this years's included Gorillaz's first Spanish concert, the Specials, the Prodigy, Ray Davies, P.I.L, Kasabian, Echo and the Bunnymen and Dizzee Rascal. Last year's event was headlined by Oasis, Franz Ferdinand and the Killers

Attendance Slumps Benicassim Festival

Summer music festival spain's highest profile, the international Benicassim festival (FIB) on the eastern Mediterranean coast, suffered an alarming slump in attendance this year. The total attendance of 127,000 over the July 15-18 four day fest was down 40% from the record 200,000 at last year's 15th annual event. The number of foreign visitors, which last year stood at 70% of the total (and of which 85% were British), was down this year to about 60% of the total, say arrangers. Spain's economic problems, including high unemployment, are probably to have affected attendance from Spanish music fans. Other summer festivals in Spain have also suffered reduced attendances, such as the two weekend Rock in Rio Madrid festival in June, whose attendance fell to 250,000 from 290,000 at the inaugural 2008 Rock in Rio Madrid. Most analysts also point to a less enticing line up this year, with headliners Gorillaz playing their first Spanish concert, the Specials, the Prodigy, Ray Davies, P.I.L., Kasabian, Echo & the Bunnymen, Vampire Weekend, Hop Chip and Dizzee Rascal. An added atrraction this year for Spanish fans was the farewell concert of the Sunday Drivers from Toledo. Last year's line up included Oasis, Franz Ferdinand and the Killers. Another change this year was the purchase of FIB by Irish pioneer festival promoter Vince Power, who used to run the Reading Festival.Power had co-run FIB for three years with the Maraworld company, run by the Moran brothers. But this year he was the sole owner after buying the event from Maraworld. Power announced July 18 that from next year there will be two FIBs, with one event taking place in northern Spain. "There will be changes, because if you stand still, they'll knock you over," said Power. This split into two festivals under the same name occurred this year with Sonar. As well as attracting 87,000 people to its main Barcelona event, Sonar also held a parallel event in A Coruna, in the north-west Galicia region above Portugal, which attracted 14,000 fans. A fairly disastrous similar attempt last year saw Barcelona's Summercase hold a poorly attended (6,000) Summercase Madrid event just outside the capital. FIB executive director, Pepe Corral, said the 16th FIB was "positive" despite the lower audiences. "This was going to be an uncertain year, but the objectives have been reached, and we are full of happiness and joy," he said. Power agreed, added that "this is my favorite festival, and I have the intention of seeing that everything continues in the future."

Gorillaz To Headline Benicassim Festival

Gorrilaz have been confirmed as headliners at this year's Benicassim festival.

They'll be playing the event alongside the likes of Vampire Weekend, Dizzee Rascal, Dirty Projectors, Julian Casablancas and Klaxons.

The full line up reads:

Kasabian
Ian Brown
The Specials
Public Image Ltd
Dizzee Rascal
The Prodigy
Alondra Bentley
Bigott
Boys Noize
Broken Bells
Calvin Harris
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Chin Yi
Cohete
Cola Jet Set
Cuchillo
Cut Copy
Daedelus
Delorentos
Dirty Projectors
DJ Shadow
Echo and the Bunnymen
El Hijo
Ellie Goulding
Fionn Regan
Foals
Four Tet
Gentle Music Men
Goldfrapp
Gorillaz
Graeme Park
Hacienda Tour
Hot Chip
Jack L
JJ
Jonston
Joris Voorn
Julian Casablancas
Justin Robertson
Klaxons
Leftfield
Lindstrom & Christabelle
Lily Allen
Los Ilegales
Love of Lesbian
Marcus Doo & The Secret Family
Midnight Juggernauts
Mumford & Sons
Parade
Peter Hook
Phil Kieran
Prins Thomas
Ray Davies
Scratch Perverts
Skream & Benga
Southern Arts Society
Sr. Chinarro
Standstill
The Courteeners
The Cribs
The Paris Riots
The Sunday Drivers
The Temper Trap
Timo Maas
Triangulo De Amor Bizarro
Two Door Cinema Club
Vampire Weekend
Yacht
Yuksek

Benicassim takes place near Valencia from 15th - 18th July

Several names added to this year's line-up.

Festival Internationale de Benicassim, Spain's premier music feast, has added several names to this year's line-up, with Julian Casablancas among those now on board.

The Strokes frontman should prove to be a popular choice with audiences as he performs material from his debut solo album ‘Phrazes For The Young’.

DJ Shadow will take to the stage, treating the crowd to his much loved instrumental hip-hop sounds, while Goldfrapp play in support of their recently-released fifth album ‘Head First’.

Also joining the festival bill are Boys Noize, Midnight Juggernauts, Lindstrom And Christabelle, Daedelus, Phil Kiernan, jj, Delorentos, The Sunday Drivers and Alondra Bentley.

Kasabian, the Prodigy for Benicassim Festival

Kasabian and The Prodigy digy head up the slew of acts announced for this year's Benicassim.
On a more nostalgic tilt The Specials and Public Image Ltd., who have both recently reformed, have also been confirmed for the Spanish event.Dizzee Rascal and Ian Brown will also perform at the event this summer, completing an entirely British batch of bands for the first announcement.

Oasis' Noel Gallagher: 'Benicassim was a waste of time'

Oasis' Noel Gallagher has described his band's set at the Benicassim festival on Thursday (July 17) as a "waste of time" because of the sound problems that occurred during the show.The Manchester legends lost sound while they were playing 'Wonderwall', with singer Liam Gallagher walking off stage before later returning to complete the set on the first night of the Spanish event.Writing on his blog at Oasisinet.com, Noel explained that only the crowd reaction the band received made the show worth it."Benicassim?" he wrote. "What a fuckin' waste of time! If it wasn't for those bloody kids it would've been a disaster. I really can't say enough about the crowd. Unbelievable behaviour. Special mention to the topless birds – what a welcome sight that was!”Elaborating on the sound problems, he continued: "The problem was... wait for it... yes! The fuckin' PA. It blew twice! And the monitor system blew twice! It's becoming a joke. And not a very funny one."

Lily Allen’s drinking too much

One-night stands and cancelled gigs is Lily heading for meltdown again?

Lily Allen’s bouts on stage in Helsinki on 16 August were explained as the result of back pain.
But Lily, 24, was less accommodating about the fact that her injury was caused by a fall after a night of heavy boozing, which is becoming a act of a habit.
‘The drinking is taking its toll and making her take silly risks,’ says a source close to the singer. ‘Her record company was agitated about the bad publicity she’s been getting currently and she’s been told to get her bit together.’
Lily’s latest crisis started in July when she cancelled her aspect at Spain’s Benicassim Festival.
That was a bout of gastroenteritis, but then she pulled out of French festival Les Vieilles Charrues, claiming that she was never due to appear. Days later, she was spotted boozing for hours with old friend Damien Hirst at Scott’s in Mayfair.
Our source says: ‘Lily’s always repentant afterwards and filled with horror at what she might’ve done while she was drunk.
'She’s joked that she likes drink, but it doesn’t like her and that’s true. Her abominable behaviour also augment to her love life. She’ll hook up with anyone when she’s drunk.
‘She was back with her ex Robertson Furze currently and she was accused with an American singer. But her drinking usually spells the end of any relationship because people get fed up with her behaviour. She gets out of control when she’s had a few. For Lily, it’s about the attention. She’s still very exposed, despite looking her best at the moment.’
On 17 August, Lily went out for a curry in London’s Queen’s Park with builder Sam Cooper, who she’s been seeing for about a month. She says that he’s ‘wonderfully normal’ but with Lily’s life being anything but normal, friends don’t expect the pairing to last.
‘Lily’s very up and down at the moment,’ says our source. ‘She’s struggled with trough in the past and if she’s stressed she cosset in very unhealthy behaviour. She needs time off to take stock, but that’ll only work if she gives drinking a miss.'
See the full story about Lily Allen and her feelings for Ed Simons in Now arsenal dated 31 August 2009 out now!